Astilbe plant named ‘Heart and Soul’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Astilbe  plant named ‘Heart and Soul’, characterized by its upright, mounded and compact plant habit; rapid growth rate; freely and uniform flowering habit; and light purple-colored flowers.

Botanical designation: Astilbe chinensis.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Heart and Soul’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Astilbeplant, botanically known as Astilbe chinensis, and hereinafter referredto by the name ‘Heart and Soul’.

The new Astilbe orignated from a chance pollination of two unknownAstilbe chinensis selections. The new Astilbe was discovered andselected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant originating from agroup of open-pollinated crosses made in a controlled environment inHeemskerk, The Netherlands in 1999. The new Astilbe was selected on thebasis of its unique flower coloration.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by divisions since 2000 inHeemskerk, The Netherlands, has shown that the unique features of thisnew Astilbe are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Heart and Soul have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensitywithout, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Heart and Soul’. These characteristicsin combination distinguish ‘Heart and Soul’ as a new and distinctAstilbe cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright, mounded and compact plant habit.    -   2. Rapid growth rate.    -   3. Freely and uniformly flowering habit.    -   4. Light purple-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Astilbe can be compared to the Astilbe cultivarGloria, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted inHeemskerk, The Netherlands, plants of the new Astilbe differed fromplants of the cultivar Gloria in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Astilbe have darker green-colored leaves        than plants of the cultivar Gloria.    -   2. Plants of the new Astilbe have larger inforescences and        larger flowers than plants of the cultivar Gloria.

Plants of the new Astilbe can also be compared to the Astilbe cultivarHyacinth, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted inHeemskerk, The Netherlands, plants of the new Astilbe differed fromplants of the cultivar Hyacinth in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Astilbe have darker green-colored leaves        than plants of the cultivar Hyacinth.    -   2. Plants of the new Astilbe have larger inflorescences and        larger flowers than plants of the cultivar Hyacinth.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the actualcolors of the new Astilbe.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Heart and Soul’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-up view of atypical inflorescence of ‘Heart and Soul’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view oftypical leaves of ‘Heart and Soul’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants shown in the aforementioned photographs and used in the followingdescription were grown in containers under conditions which closelyapproximate commercial production conditions during the summer in anoutdoor nursery in Hillegom, The Netherlands. Plants in the photographsand those used for the description were about one year old when thephotographs and desciption were taken. During the production of theplants, day temperatures ranged from 14° C. to 30° C. and nighttemperatures ranged from 6° C. to 17° C. In the following description,color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Astilbe chinensis cultivar Heart and Soul.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unknown selection of Astilbe            chinensis.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Astilbe            chinensis.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By divisions.        -   Time to initate rooting.—About two weeks at 14° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About 40 days at 20°            C.        -   Root description.—Fine; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; reasonably dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Form.—Perennial. Upright, mounded and compact plant habit;            inverted triangle. Flowering stems and leaves arise from the            roots; dense and bushy plant habit; moderately vigorous            growth habit. Freely flowering with numerous flowers on            numerous branched panicles.        -   Growth rate.—Rapid; from divisions, about 20 weeks are            required to produce fully-grown flowering plants.        -   Plant height.—About 52 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 44 cm.        -   Stem description.—Length: About 24 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.            Internode length: About 12 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:            Sparsely pubescent. Color: 144A with random spots, N167B.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; bi-ternately            compound. Leaf length (excluding petiole): About 15.9 cm.            Leaf width: About 20.3 cm. Lateral leaflet length: About            6 cm. Lateral leaflet width: About 3.7 cm. Terminal leaflet            length: About 8 cm. Terminal leaflet width: About 5.2 cm.            Lateral leaflet shape: Ovate. Terminal leaflet shape:            Obovate. Lateral and terminal leaflet apex: Acute. Lateral            and terminal leaflet base: Attenuate. Lateral and terminal            leaflet margin: Biserrate. Lateral and terminal leaflet            texture, upper and lower surfaces: Sparsely pubescent;            rough. Lateral and terminal leaflet venation pattern:            Pinnate. Lateral and terminal leaflet color: Developing            foliage, upper and lower surfaces: 143A. Fully expanded            foliage, upper surface: Darker than 137A; venation, 174A.            Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 137C; venation, 164A,            towards the base N199C. Leaf petiole length: About 14.6 cm.            Leaflet petiole length: About 2.3 cm. Leaf and leaflet            petiole diameter: About 2 mm. Leaf and leaflet petiole            texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Leaf            petiole color, upper and lower surfaces: 144A. Leaflet            petiole color, upper surface: 175A. Leaflet petiole color,            lower surface: 144A to 144B.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Numerous rotate single flowers            arranged in branched panicles; flowers face upright, outward            or droop. Freely and uniformly flowering habit; about 3,000            flowers and flower buds per plant; typically two panicles            develop per plant.        -   Natural flowering season.—Continuous flowering during the            summer in The Netherlands.        -   Flower longevity on the plant.—Indivdual flowers last about            ten days on the plant. Flowers persistent.        -   Fragrance.—Moderate; sweet.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 1.9 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Shape: Roughly globular. Color: 145A; towards the apex, 77B.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 28.5 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 17.2 cm.        -   Flowers.—Diameter: About 8 mm. Depth (height): About 4 mm.        -   Petals.—Quantity per flower: About six. Length: About 4 mm.            Width: About 0.5 mm. Shape: Linear; twisted. Apex: Acute.            Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous. Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces:            N80C. Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: 76C; color            becoming closer to N76D to lighter than N76D.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: About six. Length: About            2.5 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute. Base:            Cuneate, fused. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Immature, upper and lower            surfaces: 145C. Mature, upper and lower surfaces: N155B.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 35 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Angle:            Erect to about 5° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Color:            144B to 144C.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 0.5 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm.            Angle: About 45° from vertical. Strength: Moderately strong.            Color: N155B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About            ten. Filament length: About 1.8 mm. Anther attachment:            Basifixed. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther length: About            0.2 mm. Anther color: N155A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen            color: 158D. Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil            length: About 1.5 mm. Stigma shape: Club-shaped. Stimga            color: N155A. Style length: About 1.2 mm. Style color:            N155A. Ovary color: 145D.        -   Fruit/seed.—Fruit and seed development have not been            observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Astilbe have not been    noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Astilbe.-   High temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Astilbe have been    observed to tolerate temperatures of 30° C.-   Hardiness: Plants of the new Astilbe are hardy to USDA Zone 5.

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Astilbe plant named ‘Heart and Soul’,as illustrated and described.